Canva
1 / 43#43. Elmore County
- Total small business establishments: 452 (15.6 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.6%
- 2021 population: 28,941
Idaho small businesses thrive in these counties
In 2021, the IRS received a whopping 5.4 million business applications—an all-time high since the U.S. government began tracking this data in 2004. The year with the second-highest number of new business applications? 2020. Today, small businesses employ nearly half of the nation's workers, according to a Chamber of Commerce report.
It's fair to say that the past few years have been banner years for small businesses, but what about regional differences? The business climate in a small town in Texas is likely not the same as a small town in Connecticut. The Chamber of Commerce report found that the Midwest was the most business-friendly region, thanks to the relatively low cost of living, well-educated workforce, and regulations lowering taxes and easing zoning restrictions for businesses.
Of course, the East and West coasts also have plenty to offer, from California's Silicon Valley and Hollywood studios to New York's financial hub to Massachusetts' prominence in the aerospace, defense, and information technology industries. A few states—including Delaware, Wyoming, and Nevada—even allow you to incorporate your business within their borders without ever setting foot there.
For even more specific data, let's take it a step further by analyzing counties. Are certain counties more friendly to small businesses than others? To pinpoint the areas where small businesses abound, altLINE used Census Bureau data to find the counties in Idaho with the highest concentration of small businesses in 2021, calculated as small establishments per 1,000 residents. Small establishments are defined as those with fewer than 500 employees. Counties with fewer than 1,000 residents were excluded from the analysis, as well as counties for which the Census Bureau didn't have population estimates.
Another important factor to consider: States where nonresidents are allowed to incorporate businesses will also have a higher ratio of small businesses to residents since not all small businesses are actually operated by people living in that state.
Taking a close look at the type of counties that topped the list in each state also reveals some interesting trends. World-class vacation destinations are well represented on the lists of each state, perhaps because tourists are looking to get a sense of how the locals live through small businesses like restaurants, bakeries, bars, and boutiques.
While the top counties in each state do include a few major cities, less populated counties with smaller towns are much more common. Although most of the nation's small businesses are located in major metropolitan areas, those that are located in rural areas tend to be more stable—possibly due to loyalty from local residents or the absence of competition from large corporations.
Keep reading to discover the counties in Idaho with the highest concentration of small businesses, and see how it compares across 50 states. It just might give you inspiration for your next endeavor.
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten, writing by Annalise Mantz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
Canva
2 / 43#42. Owyhee County
- Total small business establishments: 226 (18.3 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.6%
- 2021 population: 12,348
Canva
3 / 43#41. Lincoln County
- Total small business establishments: 97 (18.4 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.0%
- 2021 population: 5,260
Canva
4 / 43#40. Madison County
- Total small business establishments: 1,004 (18.6 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.5%
- 2021 population: 54,114
davidrh // Shutterstock
5 / 43#39. Butte County
- Total small business establishments: 50 (18.9 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 96.2%
- 2021 population: 2,650
Tucker James // Shutterstock
6 / 43#38. Bingham County
- Total small business establishments: 956 (19.6 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.9%
- 2021 population: 48,898
B Brown // Shutterstock
7 / 43#37. Jefferson County
- Total small business establishments: 634 (19.7 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
- 2021 population: 32,253
Canva
8 / 43#36. Washington County
- Total small business establishments: 219 (20.1 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 98.6%
- 2021 population: 10,887
Canva
9 / 43#35. Bear Lake County
- Total small business establishments: 140 (21.3 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 98.6%
- 2021 population: 6,559
Canva
10 / 43#34. Oneida County
- Total small business establishments: 98 (21.4 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 98.0%
- 2021 population: 4,588
Canva
11 / 43#33. Minidoka County
- Total small business establishments: 470 (21.4 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.4%
- 2021 population: 21,945
Canva
12 / 43#32. Canyon County
- Total small business establishments: 5,347 (21.9 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.9%
- 2021 population: 243,774
Canva
13 / 43#31. Power County
- Total small business establishments: 179 (22.5 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 97.3%
- 2021 population: 7,959
Canva
14 / 43#30. Payette County
- Total small business establishments: 596 (22.6 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 100.0%
- 2021 population: 26,377
Canva
15 / 43#29. Boise County
- Total small business establishments: 189 (23.3 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.5%
- 2021 population: 8,121
Canva
16 / 43#28. Gooding County
- Total small business establishments: 372 (23.7 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.5%
- 2021 population: 15,725
MKStyle // Shutterstock
17 / 43#27. Gem County
- Total small business establishments: 470 (23.7 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.6%
- 2021 population: 19,832
Canva
18 / 43#26. Franklin County
- Total small business establishments: 356 (24.3 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.2%
- 2021 population: 14,676
Canva
19 / 43#25. Jerome County
- Total small business establishments: 603 (24.4 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 100.0%
- 2021 population: 24,745
Danita Delimont // Shutterstock
20 / 43#24. Latah County
- Total small business establishments: 1,011 (25.0 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
- 2021 population: 40,397
Canva
21 / 43#23. Adams County
- Total small business establishments: 116 (25.0 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.1%
- 2021 population: 4,632
jfergusonphotos // Shutterstock
22 / 43#22. Shoshone County
- Total small business establishments: 348 (25.5 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 100.0%
- 2021 population: 13,659
Canva
23 / 43#20. Bannock County
- Total small business establishments: 2,262 (25.6 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
- 2021 population: 88,349
Canva
24 / 43#20. Caribou County
- Total small business establishments: 182 (25.6 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 97.8%
- 2021 population: 7,110
Canva
25 / 43#19. Clearwater County
- Total small business establishments: 229 (25.7 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.6%
- 2021 population: 8,917
Canva
26 / 43#18. Camas County
- Total small business establishments: 30 (26.6 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 88.2%
- 2021 population: 1,129
Canva
27 / 43#17. Fremont County
- Total small business establishments: 365 (26.8 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 100.0%
- 2021 population: 13,606
Norm Lane // Shutterstock
28 / 43#16. Benewah County
- Total small business establishments: 267 (26.9 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.6%
- 2021 population: 9,941
Canva
29 / 43#15. Nez Perce County
- Total small business establishments: 1,162 (27.3 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.5%
- 2021 population: 42,509
melissamn // Shutterstock
30 / 43#14. Lewis County
- Total small business establishments: 108 (29.1 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 98.2%
- 2021 population: 3,709
Canva
31 / 43#13. Cassia County
- Total small business establishments: 739 (29.3 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
- 2021 population: 25,249
Canva
32 / 43#12. Bonneville County
- Total small business establishments: 3,908 (30.5 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
- 2021 population: 128,045
Canva
33 / 43#11. Idaho County
- Total small business establishments: 526 (30.9 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 100.0%
- 2021 population: 17,053
Canva
34 / 43#10. Twin Falls County
- Total small business establishments: 2,886 (31.3 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.9%
- 2021 population: 92,357
Charles Knowles // Shutterstock
35 / 43#9. Ada County
- Total small business establishments: 16,243 (31.7 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
- 2021 population: 512,914
Canva
36 / 43#8. Kootenai County
- Total small business establishments: 5,755 (32.0 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.9%
- 2021 population: 180,146
Canva
37 / 43#7. Boundary County
- Total small business establishments: 425 (33.6 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 100.0%
- 2021 population: 12,635
Canva
38 / 43#6. Bonner County
- Total small business establishments: 1,785 (36.0 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.9%
- 2021 population: 49,617
Canva
39 / 43#5. Lemhi County
- Total small business establishments: 311 (38.2 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
- 2021 population: 8,136
Canva
40 / 43#4. Custer County
- Total small business establishments: 191 (43.1 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.5%
- 2021 population: 4,434
Canva
41 / 43#3. Teton County
- Total small business establishments: 587 (47.8 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
- 2021 population: 12,294
Canva
42 / 43#2. Valley County
- Total small business establishments: 709 (57.8 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.9%
- 2021 population: 12,264
Canva
43 / 43#1. Blaine County
- Total small business establishments: 1,655 (66.8 per 1,000 residents)
- Share of establishments that are small: 99.9%
- 2021 population: 24,767
